Anybody who really cares already has this, but a nice addition would be Elfman's 1990 version of "Try to Believe" from the Oingo Boingo album, Dark at the End of the Tunnel. I much prefer this version to the crazy gospel version that plays in Midnight Run, and it might make people think better of the song.

Although I don't necessarily condone an expansion, I'm definitely for getting the album back out there, to more people, without paying through the nose. It deserves that. Perhaps with some cool liner notes too.

And yes, I'm curious about the proposed sequel, and if Danny will return for it.

Since the instrumental in the film's end credits is just the song stripped of the vocals, I always assumed that Elfman wrote the song for the film and the vocals were wiped in the mix.

I love this score, but there is very little music in the movie at least that isn't on the CD. But that CD is very pricey these days, so a reissue is a good idea.

Actually, the end credits cue is distinct from “Try To Believe” as it appears on the soundtrack album. The opening is very different (heard under dialogue) and features a casual reprise of the main theme; it is possible that this portion was just a different cue recorded to append to an instrumental mix of the song, but it is unique.

My fave Elfman if for no other reason than it has no Batman DNA, unlike just about everything else he's done.

I agree with this statement 100%. I can't tell you the number of times I've listened to EDWARD SCHISSORHANDS, SOMMERSBY, BLACK BEAUTY, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, TO DIE FOR, FREEWAY, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, MARS ATTACKS!, FLUBBER, GOOD WILL HUNTING, A SIMPLE PLAN, A CIVIL ACTION, ANYWHERE BUT HERE, PROOF OF LIFE, THE FAMILY MAN, RED DRAGON, CHICAGO, Serernada Schizophrana, CHARLOTTE'S WEB, THE KINGDOM, MEET THE ROBINSONS, MILK, TAKING WOODSTOCK, THE NEXT THREE DAYS and that new CIRQUE DU SOLEI score he did and seriously have not been able to spot any compositional difference whatsoever between all those scores and BATMAN. The man is a total hack, though and through. It's no wonder his career is completely in the toilet these days.

My fave Elfman if for no other reason than it has no Batman DNA, unlike just about everything else he's done.

I agree with this statement 100%. I can't tell you the number of times I've listened to EDWARD SCHISSORHANDS, SOMMERSBY, BLACK BEAUTY, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, TO DIE FOR, FREEWAY, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, MARS ATTACKS!, FLUBBER, GOOD WILL HUNTING, A SIMPLE PLAN, A CIVIL ACTION, ANYWHERE BUT HERE, PROOF OF LIFE, THE FAMILY MAN, RED DRAGON, CHICAGO, Serernada Schizophrana, CHARLOTTE'S WEB, THE KINGDOM, MEET THE ROBINSONS, MILK, TAKING WOODSTOCK, THE NEXT THREE DAYS and that new CIRQUE DU SOLEI score he did and seriously have not been able to spot any compositional difference whatsoever between all those scores and BATMAN. The man is a total hack, though and through. It's no wonder his career is completely in the toilet these days.

Sorry, I should have made myself clear. I meant that anybody who's die-hard enough to really want the other version of "Try to Believe" likely already has it on Dark at the End of the Tunnel. If you don't and you're interested, the album sells pretty cheaply on the used market:

I would add that if you want to hear more of Elfman music that sounds kind of like Midnight Run territory, you're most likely to find it in his later Oingo Boingo albums (the double-disc set, Boingo Alive, in particular).

My fave Elfman if for no other reason than it has no Batman DNA, unlike just about everything else he's done.

I agree with this statement 100%. I can't tell you the number of times I've listened to EDWARD SCHISSORHANDS, SOMMERSBY, BLACK BEAUTY, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, TO DIE FOR, FREEWAY, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, MARS ATTACKS!, FLUBBER, GOOD WILL HUNTING, A SIMPLE PLAN, A CIVIL ACTION, ANYWHERE BUT HERE, PROOF OF LIFE, THE FAMILY MAN, RED DRAGON, CHICAGO, Serernada Schizophrana, CHARLOTTE'S WEB, THE KINGDOM, MEET THE ROBINSONS, MILK, TAKING WOODSTOCK, THE NEXT THREE DAYS and that new CIRQUE DU SOLEI score he did and seriously have not been able to spot any compositional difference whatsoever between all those scores and BATMAN. The man is a total hack, though and through. It's no wonder his career is completely in the toilet these days.

Elfman's not a hack and his career's hardly in the toilet. Still, Batman did set the template for so much of his work written since. I miss the days of such scores as Pee-Wee, Midnight Run, and Wisdom all bumping up against each other.

Elfman's not a hack and his career's hardly in the toilet. Still, Batman did set the template for so much of his work written since. I miss the days of such scores as Pee-Wee, Midnight Run, and Wisdom all bumping up against each other.

He was being sarcastic, Adm.

The degree of eclecticism is no less today than it was back then. Just looking at some of his recent scores, you have the Kilar-inspired darkness of stuff like THE WOLFMAN and DARK SHADOWS, the downkey guitar-driven score to RESTLESS, the electronica/ambient style of THE NEXT THREE DAYS, the classic Burton in ALICE IN WONDERLAND and the 60's retro flowerpower style of TAKING WOODSTOCK. Just to mention some.

April 28, 2012 UPDATE: The Facebook author of the quote in my original post, Illustrating the Score, must have seen this thread and has now added the following statement to his original FB posting: "Just to be upfront, considering an "Expanded Release," that I mentioned above, I DO NOT have any real inside info that ordinary folks don't already have. When I said that this was "eventually" going to happen, I was speculating. Yes, I do have good resources in the film music communities, but I don't not pretend to be anyone's spokesperson. Thank you. "

Elfman's not a hack and his career's hardly in the toilet. Still, Batman did set the template for so much of his work written since. I miss the days of such scores as Pee-Wee, Midnight Run, and Wisdom all bumping up against each other.

He was being sarcastic, Adm.

The degree of eclecticism is no less today than it was back then. Just looking at some of his recent scores, you have the Kilar-inspired darkness of stuff like THE WOLFMAN and DARK SHADOWS, the downkey guitar-driven score to RESTLESS, the electronica/ambient style of THE NEXT THREE DAYS, the classic Burton in ALICE IN WONDERLAND and the 60's retro flowerpower style of TAKING WOODSTOCK. Just to mention some.

Ah, duly noted. I am looking forward to the AYS concert 6 May specifically to get a reassessment of Elfman's work in my own mind.

The soundtrack was originally released on MCA records and CDs when the film first came out - 1988. It contained virtually the whole score - around 45 minutes - including an End Title song based on the Main Theme and performed by Elfman's band under an alias. It is, however, quite rare these days, so a re-issue would be welcomed by many younger score fans, I would guess.

..and many older fans like myself as well who missed out the first time around. Thanks for the info. Who owns the Rights to the music now and why the heck hasn't La La or FSM got round to releasing this?

I'm not 100% sure, but I would guess the rights are still owned by some subsiduary of Universal Pictures or Music Group. I'm sure one of our specialist labels has a deal in the can to re-issue this one. Probably LaLa and possibly this year.

The album is pretty complete as far as I can tell - except for some alternate takes - seems like I can recall a few cues that were different from the album versions, but, only a scant few. Aside from the instrumental of Try To Believe, there isn't much essential missing.

Still - - an excellent top notch score, the textbook example of how to score a film with rock/R&B style. It remains my favorite Elfman score. Wonderful from start to finish. Give us a nice remaster, a good booklet and bring it on!

The album is pretty complete as far as I can tell - except for some alternate takes - seems like I can recall a few cues that were different from the album versions, but, only a scant few. Aside from the instrumental of Try To Believe, there isn't much essential missing.

I watched the movie last night, and that instrumental aside, I couldn't hear anything that isn't on the album (the only differences seem to be a few music edits). Maybe one or two very, very short riffs, but even then, I'm not sure those weren't mere snips of pieces on the album. The piece "In the Next Life" seems to be used twice (once when Walsh says goodbye to his daughter, and later when Walsh and the Duke chat in the boxcar).